Did Jesus call the Old Testament God the Devil, a Murderer and the Father of Lies?

[dude1]

That's honestly how I interpret John 8:44.

[unfogged]

I don't see how you could be getting that. What version are you reading?

[possibletarian]

No, I don't think so it's hard to see how you would get that from the verse quoted.

[unfogged]

NIV:
41 You are doing the works of your own father." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father you would love me,, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.
43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies
45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?
47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

KJV:
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Boding mine. It seems pretty clear to me that he's saying that their father is the devil and not god and verse 44 is speaking about the devil.

[Joods]

I'm taking it to mean that instead of God being your father, the devil is instead because you want to do the sins of your father.

[dude1]

I don't see how you could be getting that.  What version are you reading?

The Devil in the quote seems to me to be a disguised reference to the Old Testament God. Especially because of the father of lies part. (I.e. the Old Testament God has lied to the Jews and fooled them into following him.)

Basically the author of John (or that specific portion of John) seems to have believed that the Old Testament God was evil, so he slipped in a phrase saying that Jews are Satanists and the Old Testament God is the devil.

Could be wrong, though.

[Chad32]

Could be a veiled stab at the old testament jews. He does rail against the pharisees, even as they attempt to maintain control according to the old law. But he might just be talking about Satan too, as he mentions that god sent him. If he thought the god of the old testament was evil, he wouldn't serve him. Supposedly.

[GrandizerII]

OP: Possibly, but the more common interpretation happens to be more parsimonious. Of note is that John's Jesus is a very legendary mystical type of Jesus way different from the legendary Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels (who more clearly embraced the OT God).

[Gwaithmir]

Could be a veiled stab at the old testament jews. He does rail against the pharisees, even as they attempt to maintain control according to the old law. But he might just be talking about Satan too, as he mentions that god sent him. If he thought the god of the old testament was evil, he wouldn't serve him. Supposedly.

I think it highly likely that Jesus was illiterate and never read any of the OT scriptures.

[Minimalist]

Does it matter what it says?